To think many people have confused their paying holiday rental with house sitting?

[HeleenaHandcart]

Back from a week away and I’m starting to give up on UK holiday homes.

I obviously am happy to respect the property and be generally clean and tidy, but more and more I see higher and higher costs and higher and higher cleaning expectations. As well as earlier and earlier leaving times.

I don’t want to work as an unpaid house keeper before a long drive, nor generally add towards upkeep of the house I’m paying a ton for. I used to strip beds for example, but not with kids and an early leave time as well as wanting it all bagged up it’s a bit much before 9am. Frankly I’m not watering anything either. Now as well more and more places say you must leave by 9am, yet can’t enter until 5/6pm due to ‘cleaning’ but you must clean the place fully. Bins out and a list of chores for you.

Last week I was asked to be in for the washing machine repair man even (I said no). It’s not a bloody holiday- it’s house sitting and paying to be a house-sitter. My particular annoyance is stating ‘all surfaces to be cleaned and wiped, including the bathroom’ and they don’t leave a single cloth or cleaning product in the property. It’s like they also expect you to either purchase or bring a house cleaning kit.

Oh and ‘quirks of the property’, stuff that generally requires extra work to use stuff like ‘each day the windows all must be opened for 10 min’, ‘the shower cubicle has a daily water mark spray’ or ‘the boiler needs x, y…’

Its time to go back to hotel stays

YANBU a recent Cornish Cottages stay has made me swear off holiday lets forever. I'd rather camp, at least then you know what will be in the kitchen!

Try booking independent? My holiday cottage near Padstow is nothing like the stories listed above because we don't go through an agency and I do it myself.

Check in from 4pm, but usually 2pm (I always let guests in early as soon as I've finished). 10am check out.

No need to strip beds - you're on holiday!
No cleaning expected.
Empty the indoor bins into the wheelie bin, but that is it. No need to put bins out on road or anything. No need to sort recycling as I pay extra for the company to do it!
Nice welcome basket.
Immaculately clean
High quality linens & towels.

I'm shocked reading some of the things owners expect the guests to do!!

Ridiculous. Holidaymakers should have full control over the heating.

As an owner booking.com is pretty evil.

I've always left a million t-towels and cloths and some cleaning products.

I ask for beds to be stripped and dirty linens put in baths. Bins emptied and recycling done.

The problem is often that the cleaners have to do multiple properties on change over day. Thus early checkout late check in.

Plus then you get added surprises like when the kids or adults have used the sofa as a Hand wipe or poured red wine over the walls. If you add in toys etc it's a pretty unenviable job. Or the fridge /toilet seat/washing machine/boiler needs replacing as well as the cleaning.

Cleaners are incredibly hard to find for holiday rentals because it's very much bit work and shit work. I pay over the odds. My cleaner will retire fairly soon and the idea is almost enough to make me stop the rental.

I've had friends in recently with small kids. I visited for one evening. I can see that the sofa will need changing. It'll be the clean to end all cleans. I'm sure they will have done their best to clear it up. Luckily there's no one in this week and I have the cleaner a heads up.

I'm reasonable! I just rent a room out now occasionally but when I've let my whole place previously I've never expected the beds to be stripped, carpets vacuumed, bathroom cleaned etc. Just leave it as close to how you found it was my expectation or centralise any mess (I.e. put it in the bin).

Agreed OP, plus I think some of the holiday let companies and owners are now relying on this being done and then not following up with their own cleaners afterwards. We had a stay in Cornwall at May half term and the cottage hadn’t been deep cleaned in a LONG time, when we walked in the ‘recycling’ bin was still full in the kitchen with empty plastic bottles stood next to it, sand everywhere (some sand is excusable but not half the bloody beach) layers of thick dust in places you’d expect to be wiped, grubby light switches and banister plus a few more issues like dirty soft furnishings, unwashed dishes etc.

When we called the agents to complain they were semi apologetic and offered to come and clean it for us after the weekend! By which point we had already had to clean everything ourselves.

This was £800 for a 2 bed tiny cottage, not a mansion with umpteen bedrooms.

I know many businesses are struggling for staff but that’s not an excuse for a shoddy product which you’re paying a premium price for at the height of the season. You’re supposed to vacate by 10 but you can’t enter until 4pm so with that 6 hour window you would expect a decent level of cleanliness or at least a reduction in fees if the standards are lower than usual.

There’s a world of difference between a professionally run holiday let and many Airbnbs. I don’t use Airbnb now unless there is no alternative. If I’m paying a cleaning fee, I won’t do any cleaning. I’ll clear the bins out and it will be left tidy but that’s it.

We went to a lovely air B&B annually, it was expensive but its where we stayed after our wedding so would stay a night each year on our aniversary too.

We tidied before we left each time but our last review called us 'untidy' (utterly baffled as to how, the place looked the same as when we arrived) and they cut their nose off because as regular customers now we're not going back.

Too expensive (+ goes up in price each year), we cant even control our own heating (which has been an issue every year) and now this... I have zero idea what they expect of us.

Child with ASD (she needs her own room, especially as DH snores), & I have a very large number of food intolerances. Neither a hotel or a B&B would be appropriate for us.

We've just had a week in a cottage, 3pm check in and 9am check out.

We were asked to strip the beds and bag the beddings on departure, we stripped them but no bags were provided for bagging.

We could leave the washed crockery in the dishwasher on the last day.

All in all we were happy with the stay as so much stuff was provided - washing machine pods, dishwasher tablets, washing sponges, Fairy liquid, tea towels, cooking oil, spices, milk, eggs, cakes, biscuits, toilet roll, kitchen towel, towels and bedding, wifi, washing gel, etc.

It was definitely more cost effective for the 5 of us to stay in the cottage than a hotel, as we ate in most days and were able to make a packed lunch each morning.

@Wallywobbles it is a business and rental process are very high. So people expect a lot.
I would be fine if rentals were cheaper, but I won't pay a fortune to have to be out at 9 am all packed up.

And the shortage of cleaners is not the problem of those renting the accommodation.

Some of these stories are really shocking! We've stayed in Airbnbs or holiday cottages multiple times a year for years, and I have never come across this. The only thing we've had that I consider to be an 'extra' demand is stripping the beds, which doesn't massively bother me. Other than that I leave it 'normal' tidy - i.e. I would wipe down visible kitchen surfaces, empty bins, wouldn't leave shit stains in a toilet etc. But no bloody way would I do any actual cleaning!

Not being able to control the heating in winter is a deal breaker.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow - please do try and leave on time. Our 10am check out is for a reason. If we have same day check ins which we do a few times this summer, then check in is at 3pm. I’m cleaning full property, changing 4 beds, watering, setting out nice hamper etc with my 2 year old toddler ‘helping’. Even without him it’s takes me that 10-3pm to get it ready again.

When the 10am check out guests linger until 10.40am I end up smiling sweetly and not saying anything. When the guests due at 5pm turn up at 2.30pm I let them in early. But my 5 hour window is now less than 4hrs. No I don’t ask for bedding or cleaning done, but I can see why people start if they get less and less time

I've used Air BnB for years and only empty the bins, fill the dishwasher/do the dishes and leave the place normally tidy.
If I'm paying a cleaning fee of £40+, they can do the main cleaning themselves.

Disclaimer: I am a very considerate guest, would never inconvenience the neighbours etc. I just resent the cleaning cheekery.

Reading this thread with interest. I have an airbnb but I don't add the cleaning fee as I agree its annoying for people.

Every time a guest leaves I am so surprised about how clean people leave the property.

I’ve never seen anyone when we’ve left late . Never. No cleaners, owners or anything. Which makes me question why we have to leave at the crack of.

Must have stayed in over 30 or 40 holiday lets

We own one holiday let and have had others. DH works for a big company that rents out cottages. We never ask this of guests. Ever. We are happy if they just walk away. Delighted if the bins go out. Bagging up laundry pissed us off in one property, plus this delayed arrival / early departure shit. All Covid, apparently.

Don't put up with it. Complain. Leave a bad review. There are plenty of places that do exactly as they should: welcome you as guests and have no expectations beyond that you have a lovely time.

Even minor damage is to be expected. We had a coastal property and dealt cheerfully with sand and dog hair. Our city pad mostly challenged us with make up on pillowcases. Washable / replace. And bottle bank runs.

Don't give up on holiday cottages. Just demand better.

It's why I stay in hotels. I go on holiday to avoid cleaning and making my own bed!

I agree with this. It is a business. Businesses bring problems you have to deal with. It is not your customer's issue to deal with.

This is really surprising for me. I rent out a static caravan in Cornwall, I have to charge £65 for cleaning and linen charge, I make nothing from that, but I still wouldn't expect guests to clean before they leave, aside normal tidiness. I'm not even sure I'd expect the beds to be stripped. What are the cleaners doing if the place is already spotless? Surely a decent cleaner wants to see a difference in the job they're doing?

The only bad review we've ever given was someone who traipsed in a load of tar and left awful stains everywhere. The guests never told us, or apologised, they just left. As it happened it turned out that the holiday park was also at fault, so they cleaned it for us, but the guests clearly left the place in a state and never even came back to us once we'd left the review so obviously weren't that bothered.

It is annoying when there's a cleaning charge but you still seem to be expected to leave it absolutely spotless, especially when check out is early. Obviously you don't leave it a total tip, even if a cleaner is coming, but sometimes you do feel this pressure to leave it immaculate despite that.

I would never use an air b&b!

As a veteran holiday cottage customer (20 years) I always:
Take anti bac wipes to do a wipe down once arrived
Extra loo rolls
Extra tea towels
"Naice" Liquid hand soap for kitchen and bathrooms (to be used up whilst there)
Extra dishwasher tablets
My own perferred laundry detergent pods

The owners of these properties never seem to provide enough ^ of the above; even though the property sleeps 8 they leave 2 dishwasher tablets for a week, 1 loo roll and 1 tea towel (?)
I usually take Extra bin bags too

I also do an inventory on arrival and take photos of anything broken/not as described. Report any issues to the owner immediately (not much point once you're home)

I also never stay anywhere that allows pets (allergies)

We stayed in one with a swimming pool. It was a lovely property, but not "high-end" as in there were obvious repairs needed, quite dated decor etc. Just right for our purposes.
When we arrived, we were told by the property managers (who were relatives of the owners) they would be coming in daily to monitor the pool and make adjustments to treatment etc. No set times, though they did knock first. I have no idea if this was really necessary, but it did feel we were being checked up on. The managers also had all their delivers come to the house. Again not a huge problem, but also relate to it not really feeling like a holiday rental.